Calista dared a furtive glance at the Duke and flushed. He looked as he always did when she saw him around the manor. He wore black, from his unadorned shirt and pants down to his leather boots. The only reason he stood out was because of his height and everybody else wore grey. He had been staring at her since he came knocking on their door escorted by two guards. Mrs. Bell had been agitated all morning after Cai told them that the Duke was coming for tea.
"Calista, there is something you are not telling us." Mrs. Bell's raised tone promised endless questions if she did not satisfy her curiosity. Calista knew she could not put it off any longer and sat her parents down.
"Er, Mother, you remember I went up to the Penthouse the other night for Goldie?" A nod from Mrs. Bell. Mr. Bell only grunted.
"Well, I broke the Duke's vial by accident." A gasp. Then another. Mr. Bell only raised his eyebrows.
"You..you're the Duke's match?" Cai nodded.
"So now we thought we'd spend some time to get to know each other. You know? Um, he's coming here this morning and.." Cai shrugged as her words trailed off. She was twisting her fingers, if only to keep herself from crossing them for luck. She desperately hoped her parents would not ask a lot of questions. She didn't want to tell them about the Duke's proposal yet. Vial or not, she was still an only daughter and they would balk at the rush while she cannot reveal anything about the rebellion.
"Oh Cai! Why did you not say anything sooner? Oh a good thing we had just done our spring cleaning. Do serve him the new tea the Vineries had sent last week. And your hair! Oh dear we do not have enough time to get you ready!" Mrs. Bell's voice trailed off as she went to the kitchen to look through the cupboards presumably to prepare the Duke's tea.
Cai looked at her father. Say something.
"Cai, you are old enough to know your own heart. The vial can only point us to the person who is our match. This does not mean a guarantee of happiness." Cai was confused.
"You mean, it is not fool-proof?" She was alarmed. What if she and the Duke were not meat to marry after all?
"A match is a responsibility. The reason why a vial breaks is because that is where its purpose ends. Vials do not make marriages work. The man and the woman in it do." He looked at his only daughter searchingly.
"The reason I am telling you this is because I want you to be happy. Vials do not promise happy endings and you deserve no less. You have to understand that one is not handed happiness. One chooses it."
"I do not understand."
"You will soon, my dear. Trust the vial." That of course only made her more confused. Before she could ask further though, Mrs. Bell came rushing out as the doorbell rang.
"That must be him. We're off for work then, dear." With that and a hasty, flustered greeting at the doorway, her family left her alone with the Duke.
Five minutes of silence and neither of them seemed to find anything at all to say to each other after she invited him to sit on the couch.
"Tea?" she asked a little too excitedly, thrilled to finally have a brilliant idea. She stood to fetch the tray Mrs. Bell had already prepared.
The Duke was on his feet when she came back and took the tray from her.
"You didn't have to."
"Mother did. But if you'd like coffee.."
"Tea is fine." A few seconds were spent as she poured. They both took their cups without sugar. "You've told your family then?"
YOU ARE READING
Waiting and Awaited
Romance"I accept Father. But a bride will have to wait." The Bells are among the hundreds of families living in Castille Manor in an era when mankind is as close to Utopia as it can ever be. Calista Bell wanted to follow a different calling but a twist of...
